Toronto is a winter city, but we often don’t like to admit it, and as a result, our public spaces are often designed so that they’re only attractive for the warm half of the year. So it is refreshing to hear that the Design Exchange is presenting “Design for the Cold,†an exhibit organized to raise awareness about how Canadians experience winter, showcasing design solutions which focus on taking the chill out of winter environments.
“For the show, which runs through November 25, 16 designers, educators, and health sciences researchers will present designs intended to help with extreme temperatures, from mobility to respiration, to universally designed spaces and products to enable all people to thrive in Canadian winters. Exhibition themes include environmental design, urban planning, suburban issues, challenges of rural and remote communities in winter weather; winter clothing and footwear, and the psychological and emotional consequences of winter.” Admission is free.
In a related event, on Tuesday Nov. 8, from 2pm-5pm, “Orphan Spaces,†an invitational design charette will take place. The charette will explore new possibilities for Orphan spaces — or undeveloped areas in the city that become lost in the shuffle of creating homes, businesses, parks, utility, and transportation corridors. It’s too bad it’s invitation-only, but we can hope that some results from the charette will be made public.
